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Angel's mother attends custody hearing

On Thursday morning, July 7, a custody hearing was held for the placement of four year old Angel Flores at the Nolan County Courthouse.Nolan County Court at Law Judge David Hall presided over the hearing, determining that until further notice, Angel would stay in the custody of a foster family, which is being overseen by Child Protective Services (CPS).Both of Angel's biological parents, Carlos Rico — who abandoned the boy on Interstate 20 on Tuesday, June 28, and Dana Campos were in attendance. Rico was issued a protective order to stay at least 1,000 feet away from Angel pending any kind of release. Campos, who currently lives in California, is the top candidate being considered for Angel's placement in the midst of his time in foster care. A home study will be conducted and, along with an assortment of paperwork, is scheduled to take up to 60 days to complete. The home study additionally includes parental classes, counseling, and if deemed necessary, drug and alcohol counseling and a psychological evaluation.Because there is no funding for the home study, the expenses will come at no cost to Campos and will be funded by CPS. Furthermore, personal and phone contacts were discussed for Campos with Angel. Supervision will be in effect for visits that last over three hours. Biweekly phone calls for Campos are allowed after 5 p.m. local time which will be in coordination with Angel and his foster family. They can last at least 30 minutes and while no supervision is required, the family can be on the line with Angel.Also being considered as an alternate for Angel is the boy's uncle, Angel Estrada from Lubbock County. He will take part in the same series of events as Campos in order to determine as qualified candidates. Estrada also sat in on the hearing along with Angel's stepmother.Testimony was given by two CPS employees, one who recounted her initial work on the case and the other who, following the hearing, would work on the case. Angel was reported as doing "very well" in foster care.